Universal joint.



lE. P.' EDWARDS.

UNIVERSAL JONT 4APPLlcAlfm FAILED MAY12.191.4.

Patenfgd A111120, 191,5.`

EUGENE Ii. EDWARDS, OF BLAINFIELD, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR GRNE-HALF' T0 HI'ISELF AND DKE-HALF TO A. S. GILES, GF PLAIN FIELD, NEW JERSEY. i

UNIVERSAL JOINT.

Appiicationjiled May 12, 1-914. Serial No. 837,968.

Be it known that l, EUGENE P. EDWARDS, a citizen-of the United States, residing at Plainfield, in the county of Union and State of New Jersey, hare'iiivented an Iinprorement in Universal Joints, of which the following is a specification.

I ain aware that heretofore universal joints have been constructed so as to include a shaft With a hall. head at its extremity fitting Within a socket connected yto another shaft, Vthe said" ball head being provided with a pin whichprojects at diainetrically opposite points over its surface, and the pro jecting ends of the pin arranged to operate Vwithin recesses provided therefor in the said socket. In constructions or" this kind, the pins change the direction of their oscillatory travel twice in each revolution of the shafts,'in connection With which the joint is employed, and, diie to the change inthe direction of. the travel of the pins, there is at the point wherethis change is iiiade a hitch or jerky motion produced, which is oftentimes perceptible, particularly when the joint is used iii motor vehicles. I

The object of my present invent-ion is to overcome this diliiculty, and tov provide .a

universal joint in whichat least some of the members, through which the motion is transmitted `troni one shaft to the-other, are always in operative engagenieiilaoso .that `at no point inthe revolution of` the-shafts is i 'there any jerky motion perceptible.

i'ncarrying outnny present invention, preferably employ ay shaft fhaving a ball 'lead at one end thereof, a socket adapted to ie connected to the end of a second shaft,

.2nd to receive thehallfhead on the end ot' the aforesaid sha'rftpings fitted Within the said socket and also adapted to receive the said hall head, bearinganfemhers secured in spaced positions 'initl periplierics of the said'rings, ni'eans f oi securing the said rings and hearing `members in'position Within the saidsocket, a plurality of pins, ineaiis for scuringthe said'pins in position in ,the

said ball head, and rollers on the extremities of the said pins', each of which is adapted to enter and operate Within a recess provided therefor in'one ot the said bearing Pm? ticularly described. Y

1n the' drawing, Figure l is a' .central iongitndina cross section of a. universal members, as will hereinafter he more ing the manner of securing the pins in the i hallhead at the end of one of the shafts. Fig. is an end elevation of the socket meinber of the universal joint as shown in Fig. l. FigJe is a face View of oneof the rings einployed'within the socket ineinlers. fig. 5 is a side elevation of the rings and hearings employed in connection therewitlnwith these parts assembled. Fig. 5 is an end vieriv of one of the pins. Fig. 7 is a side elevation of the sanie. Fig. 8' is aside ele- 4ration of one oli the bearing members, and Fig. 9 isianinverted plan of the same.

Referring particularly tothe drawing my improved universal joint preferably comprises a shaft l0, :it one end of which there is a hall. head 1l. In alinement with the shaft 10, the head l1 is provided with a. tapped opening l2,and in radial positions, preferably yequi-distant and at right angles to the ofjtlie shaft l0, the hall head is' provided with a plurality of hores 13, each adapted to receive a pin lei. At the inner end, each pin is tapered, as indicated at i5.`

tions inthe hall head ll. A lportion of each,

pin14 projects beyond the surface ofthe hall head 1l, and on its projecting end each pin is provided with a roller i8. also cmploy` a sleeve 19, adapted'in any suitable manner to be connected to `the end'of a sec,-l ond shaift, Secured to Iy`the sleeve 1,9 is a semi-spherical socket nieii'iber 20.v The semisphericai socket meinberz() isprovidcd with` a flange 2l, and also yinteriorly',with a cir- Specification of Letters Patent. Patented APB-u 2Q? 1915` ciilarre'cess'QQ. also employ an annular socket member 23 yprovided with an opening through which the shaft 10 passes, and also Withfa {iaiige Q4 adapted t'oiit'within the liange 21 on the semi-spherical socket member 20, so that* ,these parts may be connected By screws 'orfholts 25 passed through the respective 'ai'i'geslthereof. I also empioy a ff in ica eli

pfair of similarly constructed riiig members,

.' ring members is,provided-With4 a series of vided with flanges'30, and in the other ring 31, the curvature of which corresponds to recesses 9,3, corresponding in number with z. the numberof pins 14 employed. The members 29 of these rings intermediate of the'l i i ball head at the end thereof, a plurality of recesses. Q8 are, in .one ringfmeinlier, promiember with recesses adapted to receive the iianges 30jv Furthermore, each of these ring Imembers is provided with a curved surface that of the iurface ofthe ball head 11. I also emploie plurality of bearing members,

the numbeigrof recesses 28 andpins 14.

vEach bearmg'memben32is provided with each of Vwich is indicated at 32.` These bearing members correspond in number with a recess 33, the opposite surface defining the same being curved, asindicatedat 34. At

opposite ends, each bearing member isproy vided with a an'ge 35. `Theselbcaringmembers are adapted to be received and fit Within the recesses 28 after the ring members 26 and 27 have beenl placed in position, and the ring members, viith their bearing members, are secured to the semi spherical socket. v

member Q0 by means of screws 3G, which pass through lsci-culr holes 37. provided in fthe saidring members 26' and.27,land into together with the annular socket member, are suitably recessed to receivelthese parts.

f The annular socket member may also he proyided with a circular recess 38, adapted to jv receive ball' bearings'. 39, '40 representing .a

. similar set of ball bea-rings, which may be plac'ed within the circular recess v22, inthe" with a circular recess 41, andiiito which portion of ayielding washerymade Tof feltA '4 or'other similar'inateriajl', projects, this yielding Washer beingl employed to exclude dust, dirt and grit from theusual Working part of 'thefjoint z ssg'uiiljilingy the Iparts ofv the -iiniversal j joint asjhereinbeforedescribed, the pins 14:, 9

with theiri'jollcrs' 18,'arej1irst lixedin posithreaded plug 16 doi'vn to place. The .ring

and the ring member AQG'placed over the ball lhead, and these ring members brought toffivliicli the, saidshaftpa'sses,means for contheir juxtaposed, position. The bearing member is then passed over the shaft 10,'

brought to position against `the semi-spherijcal socket member, and the flanges of these socket members secured together by means of' screws or bolts I claim as my invention: l. A universal Jointycomprising a shaft, a

pins fixed in and projecting. from the said ball head, a socket member, ring members within the said lsocket member, and a plurality of bearing members-set within the said ring members, each `bearing member being provided with a recess-adapted tore `-ceive the end of one of the said pins and ring members adapted to be received Within the saidjsocket,y means for securing the'said riiig members in position 'Within the said 2 socket, vand a plurality of bearing members setv'ithin the said ring members and each provided with agrecess adapted to receive one of the said rollers andl Within which the said roller ,operates in? the operation of the 3. A universal joint comprising a shaft, a ball. head at the endv thereofprovidedwith an openingin alinement with the said shaft, and with,l a plurality of radial bores at right angles to the axis -of thesaid shaft, a pin placed lwithin each of the saidfbores', means fitting `within 'the said `opening intheball head for engaging the inner ends of the said pins to secure the same in position, a roller.

on the outer end of each ofthe saidl pins, a

socket member adaptedfto be connected to i tion intheball vhead 11by'turning the screivy n member 27l is 'then passed over the shaft 10,

the end of a second shaft, ri'ngamembers `Within the said socket m embei,.and a plurality Aof. bearingv-` members ifset within the said ring members, each bearing member being providedfvvithal yrecessadapted to receive one of the said rollers.

4. 'A universal jointf'con'ip-ri'singa shaft, a `ball headat-"one end thereof, a pluralityv of pins fixed in and-`projecting from the said ball head, a roller onf the v,free #end "of each of the said pins, asmi-spherical socket`member adai'itcdto -be'connectedtofthe second shaft, an. ,annularvl socketi member through neet-ing the sai d'so'cket membei'stogether', a pair of rings fitted within Yrecesses provided therefor in the said socketmembers, and a plurality of bearing members set Within refesses provided' therefor-'in the peripheries of the said ring members, each bearing member being provided with a recess adapted to receive one of the said rollers. 4

5. A universal joint comprising a. shaft, a ball head at the end thereof, the said ball head being provided with a tapped opening in alinement with the said shaft, and with a. plurality of radially spaced bores at right angles to the axis of the saidshaft, a' pin Within each ofthe said bores,.a screw thread-A ed plug adapted to be turned down within f the'said tapped opening to engage the inner ends 'of the said pins to maintain the same in position -within the said ball head, a roller on thel outery end of each of the said pins, a vsemi-'spherical socket member adapted to be secured to a second shaft, :tn-annular socketl member, means for securing the said socket socket members, and a plurality of bearing 'members set Within recesses provided therefor in the peripheriesof t e said ring members, each bearing member being provided with a recess adapted to receive'one of the said rollers, and Within which the same operates.

Signed by me this 10th day of January, 1914.

EUGENE P. EDWARDS.. ,Witnesses BERTHA M. Amir, J. B..LE BLANC. 

